Bottle carrier



p i 1956 E. ARNESON 2,741,399

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Dec. 17, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet l H TOR. Z5 Eda/2L d/7Z6607Z,

m my E. 1.. ARNESON ZJ-Qfifi BOTTLE CARRIER Filed D96. 17 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR.

[mm Z. @72650/2,

BY flaw 40% MW W, 3955 E. a... ARNESON 2 ,421,399

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Dec. 17, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet S W 1::- V INVENTOR. .25 26 fdz/mifl'rzzesoiz,

United States BOTTLE can Edwin L. Arneson, Morris, 111., assignor to I Mills, Qhlcago, lll., a corporation of The present invention relates to an improvement in flexible paperboard article carriers of the automatic set-up type.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved partition structure for a paperboard bottle carrier of the type which automatically attains an erected and locked condition upon movement of its walls to a spread, erected condition, the partition structure having novel provision to accommodate movement of certain bottom forming panels of the carrier to an interlocked condition.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved flexible paperboard carrier having opposed pairs of side and end wall panels, bottom forming panels hinged to the bottom margins of those panels and hingedly related to one another so as to constitute an automatically erecting bottom, and a multiple-ply partition hinged at its opposite ends to one pair of the walls and extending parallel to the other pair of Walls in the erected condition of the carrier, this partition terminating adjacent the bottom of the carrier to afford full depth bottom protection and having improved provisions to permit unimpeded movement of the bottom panels to locked position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an article carrier forming blank of paperboard or similar material which is generally rectangular in shape and which is cut and creased to provide integrally connected side and end wall forming panels, bottom wall forming panels and cross partition forming panels, the opposite edges of the side and end wall panels being defined by parallel crease lines extending transversely of the blank in longitudinal spaced relation, the bottom forming panels extending along one side edge of the blank and being integrally connected to the side and end Wall forming panels along a crease line extending longitudinally of the blank, certain of the bottom forming panels being provided with diagonal crease lines defining at one end thereof bendable laps for connection with the adjoining bottom forming panels, integral extensions on the other ends of the side Wall forming panels having angularly related crease lines dividing the same into cross partition forming panels and triangular connecting panels, and at least one of the cross partition forming panels having a length in the longitudinal direction of the blank which is approximately the same as the depth of the side wall forming panels and having a diagonal crease line adjacent the bottom forming end thereof.

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of the nature of the invention. Other and more specific objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction and operation of the carrier.

A single embodiment of the invention is presented for purpose of illustration. The invention may be incorthe scope of the appended claims.

atom

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a flexible paperboard blank used in the production of the improved carrier;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the blank following an initial gluing operation and indicating in broken line a subsequent fold of certain parts of the blank;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view illustrating the condition of the blank after the further fold referred to above, with further adhesive applied thereto;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the carrier blank after still another folding operation has been performed thereon, also indicating the application of adhesive thereto prior to a final folding operation;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the carrier in completed, knocked-down condition;

Pig. 6 is a top plan view of the carrier in a partially erected condition, showing the manner in which the vertically extending partition of the carrier accommodates movement of the automatic bottom forming panels as the latter shift toward fully and locked erected condition;

Fig. 7 is a top plan View of the finally erected carrier, showin the bottom forming panels in interlocked relation; and

Fig. 8 is a View in vertical section along a line corresponding to line 88 of Fig. 7.

The advantages of an aut matically erecting bottom structure in ilexibl paperb rd bottle carriers and like cartons are univers re lized. An example of such an automatic bottom arr ngetnent is illustrated and described in the patent to Parks et a1. 2,011,232 of August 13, 1935, and also in the patents to l-limes, 2,273,266 of February 17, 1942, and Lebold, 2,389,318 of November 20, 1945.

It is the purpose of this invention to make these advantages available in a bottle carrier having a medial, full depth partition or divider which extends downwardly almost to the bottom of the carrier and, lacking the improvement of the invention, would impede automatic movement of the bottom forming panels to erected and locked position.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, the blank 10 from which the improved carrier is fabricated comprises a pair of similar wall sections ll, :12, each including an end Wall and a side wall panel. The sections are integrally articulated to one another by a vertical crease 13. This crease defines one end of a side wall panel 14 of section 12 and the opposite end margin of the panel 14 is delined by a vertical crease 15. An end wall panel 16 is integrally hinged to panel 14 by a crease 15.

The carrier wall section ll comprises an end Wall panel 17, similar in size and shape to panel in, which is hinged to side wall panel 14 by crease 13. A further side Wall panel 33, corresponding in size and shape to panel 14, is integrally hinged to end wall panel 17 by a crease 19. Side wall panel 18 has a glue lap 2t? integrally hinged thereto by a crease 2i.

A horizontally extending crease 22 defines the bottom margin of the respective sections l3, 17,- 14, 315. This crease serves to integrally hinge to the wall panels certain bottom forming panels, as follows: Bottom panel 23 is hinged to side wall panel 13, bottom panel 24 is hinged to end wall panel 3.7, bottom panel 25 is hinged to side Wall panel 1 and bottom panel 26 is hinged to end wall panel 15. Panels 23 and 25 have diagonal creases 27, 23, respectively, which serve to hinge thereto the glue lap elements 29, El respectively. Panels 2-5 and 25 are specially shaped to serve as components of an automatic bottom construction, and the flaps 24, 26 have inclined side margins for the same purpose. This type of automatic bottom construction is well-known, being is superfluous.

Each of the carrier sections 11, 12 is provided with a suspending and vertical partitionunit, that associated with the section 1i. being generally designated 31 and that associated with the section 12 being generally designated 32. Inasmuch as these units are, in general, similar to one another, only the unit associated with carrier section 1 will be particularly described, on the understanding that similar parts and relationships in the unit 32 are desi nated by corresponding reference numerals, primed.

Unit 31 comprises a grip element 33 which is separated from side wall panel 18 by a horizontal slit 34. It is integrally hinged to a triangular upper extension 35 of panel 18 by means of a vertical crease 36. Element 33 is provided with a U-shaped slit 37 and a horizontal crease 38 joining the ends of the slit, thus to provide a handhole V which is normally covered by a pivoted flap 39, in a wellknown manner. a

A foldable triangular gusset or connecting member 44! 'is integrafly hinged by an angular crease 41 along the hypotenuse of the triangular upper extension 35, and a horizontal crease 42 in turn integrally hinges this foldablc member it to a relatively large partition and suspending panel 43 which is of generally rectangular outline. Panel 43 is integrally hinged to the grip element 33 by means of a crease 41a which is, in effect, an aligned extension of crease :1. An elongated slot 44 is formed in the blank to extend from the left hand end of crease 42 to the juncture of creases 36, 41, thereby facilitating manipulation of the material in this zone. Panel 43 is provided with a generally rectangular handheld opening 45 adapted to register with the handhole opening in grip element 33, in the completed condition of the carrier.

The partition and suspending panel 43 has an over-all length or" the same order as the combined vertical lengths of grip element 33 and side wall panel 18, so that when the carrier is completed it extends ahnost to the bottom thereof, thus alfording full depth bottle protection. A diagonal crease 46 is formed in panel 43 adjacent the outer or right hand end thereof, this crease serving to define and hinge a bendable flap element 4-7 to the panel.

' The carrier is completed from the blank shown in Fig. l by the following sequence of operations: Adhesive is first applied to the triangular connecting members 40, 4d of the respective partition and suspending units 31, 32, and to the panels 43, 43' of those units, as indicated by stippling in Fig. 2. These panels and the associated connecting members 4d, 4%) are now folded about the respective'creases 41,41, as shown in Fig. 3, and in broken line in Fig. 2, causing connect' ig gussets 4t 49' to adhere to the triangular upper extensions 35, 35' of side wall panels 13, 14, respectively. The upper portions of panels &3, 43 are also adhered to the respective grip elements 33, 33, leaving the blank in the condition illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

v Panels 23, 24, 25, 2.5 which are to constitute the automatic bottom of the carrier are now folded upwardly, inwardly and downwardly about the bottom-defining crease 22 and the glue laps 29, 3d of the respective panels 23, are reversely folded about the respective creases 27, 28 and onto the associated panels.

After adhesive is applied to glue lap 30, the right hand end wall panel 16 and its associated bottom panel 26 are folded inwardly and downwardly about the crease 15,

.causing the flap 26 to be adhered to glue lap 39. The

blank is now'asshown in Pie. 4 of thedrawings. Ad-

'hesive is next applied to the exposed upper surfaceof one of the partition and suspending panels,.to bottom panel glue lap 29, and to marginal glue lap 20, as illustrated by stippling in Pig. 4, whereupon section 11 of v the blank is folded upwardly, inwardly and downwardly about crease 19 onto section 12. This causes bottom panel glue lap 29 to be adhered to the. bottom panel 24 and terminal glue lap 29 to be adhered to end wall panel adhered to one another, leaving therblank as illustrated in Fig. 5 in its completed, knocked-dowmflat condition. The carrier is erected to bottle receiving condition by applying compressive force to the opposite end margins of the knocked-down article, represented by the creases l9, l5. cross section, viewed in plan as in Figs. 6 and 7. The opposite side wall panels 18, 14 shift outwardly in parallel relation and the adhesively connected bottom forming :l "53,23, 26 swing downwardlyabout their hinge line 22. .nd their respective hinge connections to one another, in well-known fashion. The opposite side wall bottom panels 23, 25 slide into a final position in which hook formations 49, 5t} thereon are interlockingly engaged with one another, leaving the bottom in flat, horizontal condition. 7 Y r Swinging movement of the bottom panels would normally be impeded by the partition panels 43, 43', which extend almost to the bottom of the carrier; however, the inclined creases 46, 46"enable the triangular flaps 47,47 to yield outwardly in opposite directions, so that the bottom panels pass readily to their final locked position. The respective flap portions 47, 47' then return downwardly to vertical position under their inherent resiliency.

This leaves the'two-ply partition andfour-ply suspending or grip portion thereof in a vertical position, as illus trated in Fig. 7, so that bottles may be deposited in the carrier. The upright partition, overlying the interlocked hooks 49, 51'} of the automatic bottom, resists upward impacts on the bottom tending to dislodge the panels thereof from their interlocked relationship.

The carrier is extremely compact in character and is fabricated from a blank of minimum size. It is also a very sturdy carrier, by reason of the bracing action exerted on the side walls by the partition units 31, 32, as well as thecharacteristie longitudinal and transverse bracing action contributed by an automatically locking bottom construction.

I claim: a l. A collapsible paperboard carrier for bottles and like articles, comprising opposed pairs of side and end walls having bottom forming panels integrally hinged thereto, certain of said bottom forming panelsbeing creased to define attaching means secured to other of ,the panels whereby to constitute an automatically interlocking bot: tom when the carrier is in erected condition, said bottom being upwardly disposed between said walls when the carrier is in a flat, knocked-down condition, and a partition unit on each of said side walls comprising a vertically extending panel integrally hinged by a verticalcrease to an upper extension of the wall, a further partition panel, and a triangular connecting element integrally hinged by a diagonal crease to said upper extension and integrally hinged to said further partition panel by a vertical crease,

said partition units extending substantially to the carrier bottom and at least one of said partition panels being provided with a diagonal crease adjacent the lower extremity thereof defining a bendable flap to accommodate move-,

rnent of said bottom panels in being locked condition.

2. A paperboard bottle carrier comprising pairs of side manipulated to and end wall panels integrally connected to one another Wall, a vertically elongated partition panehand a c onnecti ing member. integrally hinged to said last named panel and to said wall extension, the height of said partition panel approximating the combined vertical length of said As this is done, the carrier approaches a rectangular grip element and associated side wall panel, said partition panel eing provided with a diagonal crease adyacent the lower end thereof.

of side and end wall pas s integrally connected to one each of said panels hay cg a bottom forming panel integrally hinged by a horizontal crease to the lower margin thereof, certain of said panels being provided with diagonal creases defining bendable glue laps thereon, each of said side walls bein provided with an integral upper extension, a tel grally hinged by a vertical crease to at least one of said extensions and separated by cut from the associated extension bearing side Wall, a horizontally extending partition panel, and a connecting member int ally hinged to said well extension and partition panel. ti h zontal length of said partition panel approairnatin 2 combined vertical length of said grip element and associated side wall panel, said partition panel being provided with a diagonal crease adjacent the end thereof remote from said side wall extension.

4. A paperboard bottle carrier blank comprising pairs of side and end wall panels integrally connected to one another by vertical creases, each of said panels having a bottom 011.1 panel integrally hinged by a horizontal crease to the lower. margin thereof, certain of s id panels bang provided with diagonal creases defining bendable glue laps thereon, each of said side walls being provided with an integral upper er; :nsion, a grip panel integrally hinged by a vertical crease to at least one of said exten- SlOl'tS and separated by a cut from the associated extension bearing side wall, a horizontally extendin partition panel, and a connecting member integrally hinged by a horizontal crease to said partition panel and by a diagonal crease to said wall extension, the horizontal length of said partition panel approximating the combined vertical length of said grip element and associated side wall panel, said partition panel being provided with a diagonal crease adjacent the end thereof remote from said side wall extension.

5. A paperboard bottle carrier comprising pairs of side and end wall panels integrally connected to one another by vertical creases, each of said panels having a bottom forming panel integrally hinged by a horizontal crease to the lower margin thereof, certain of said bottom forming panels being provided with diagonal creases defining bendable glue laps thereon and being connected to one another by said glue laps, each of said side walls being provided with an integral upper extension, a grip element integrally hinged by a vertical crease to each of said extensions and separated by a cut from the associated extension bearing side wall, a vertically elongated partition panel, and a connecting member integrally hinged to said last named panel and to said wall extension, the height of said partition panel approximating the combined vertical llength of said grip element and associated side wall pane 6. A collapsible paperboard article carrier comprising opposed pairs of side and end walls having bottom forming panels integrally hinged thereto, certain of said bottom forming panels having a crease extending diagonally across one end thereof which defines an attaching portion which is secured to the adjoining panel whereby to constitute an automatically interlocking bottom when the carrier is in erected condition, said bottom forming panels being upwardly disposed betv' en said side and end walls when the carrier is in a fiat, knocked own condition, and ition unit hingedly connected to each of said opposed side walls, said cross partition unit comprising vertically extending partition panels integrally connected to each of said side walls along a vertical crease line and ecured to each other in face engaging relation, at least of said cross partition unit extending substanbelow the connection thereof with the side wall to cent the bottom of the carrier and being provided .ith a diagonal crease adjacent the lower extremity thereof defining a bendable flap to permit downward movement of the bottom panels into bottom closing and locked condition when the carrier is in erected condition.

7. A blank for an article carrier which comprises a generally rectangular sheet of paperboard or like material which is cut and creased to provide a series of hingedly connected side and end wall forming panels which are separated by spaced crease lines extending transversely of the blank, bottom wall forming panels extending along one side edge of the blank which are separated from the side and end wall forming panels by a crease line extending longitudinally of the blank and which are freed from each other by cutting lines extending transversely of the blank, certain of said bottom wall forming panels having diagonal creases at one end thereof defining bendable glue laps thereon, and cross partition forming panels extending along the opposite side edge of said blank which cross partition forming panels are connected to the side wall forming panels by foldable connecting panels which are defined by longitudinally and diagonally extending crease lines, with the longitudinally extendin crease lines defining one side edge of the cross partition panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

